What is the difference between spiritual gift and talent

For example, we may have a good athletic ability to play basketball like what Michael Jordan has or act like Natalie Portman or maybe sing like Michael Jackson, which are talents that God has given them.

Sometimes, we may have extraordinary wisdom that we impart to other people about God and sometimes we have good leadership in the Church, which are spiritual gifts God has given to us after receiving His salvation.

But what is the difference between a talent and a spiritual gift? It sounds very much alike, but actually they are very different. One of the differences between a spiritual gift and a talent is that spiritual gifts are received while natural talents are inherited. This means that a person inherits a talent from their mother or father, therefore having a genetic component. Another example is when a woman inherits her mother's singing voice and that is why she is good at singing.

These are natural talents that are passed down from generation to generation in the family. Spiritual gifts, on the other hand, are received by a person once they have received salvation. It is given from the hands of the Holy Spirit according to the will of the Father. We are reminded by this in 1 Corinthians ,. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gift of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kind of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Let me explain…. As Christians we tend to go one of two directions when it comes to ministry involvement and service in the Church. Two: We throw ourselves into the work of the Church doing whatever needs to be done, whether we are spiritually gifted for the task or not.

And if this is the case, then doing these things will leave us feeling burned out and spiritually unfulfilled. Those who do nothing are simply stagnant and again, left feeling spiritually longing and unfulfilled.

Knowing what your spiritual gifts are will allow you to minister in ways that will best benefit the local church, the Church as a whole, and your own spiritual, emotional, and even physical wellbeing.

Talents can be used for personal gain and even in worldly sinful ways. Talents , when used right, are an act of worship commanded by God for all Christians. Take another look at the scriptures listed a few paragraphs back. Just as God gave us the gift of salvation with the condition of faithful obedience to him, he gives us spiritual gifts expecting us to use them for their intended purpose… for the growth and health of the Church. I encourage you to take the time to discover your spiritual gifts.

NOTE: There will usually be some cross-over. Now pray, asking God to turn the Holy Spirit loose in your heart and mind with the desire and drive to share your gifts in the way s God intends you to.

Then do it! Thank you very much for this great explanation,you have given me an understanding I have been longing for. Most professional athletes not only have natural talent but they have developed this talent through years of practice and hard work. Gifts need to be exercised and this can only happen as the believer stays spiritually healthy and grows "in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" 2 Peter The proper exercise of spiritual gifts requires spiritual growth and maturity Ephesians Talents possessed by believers ought to be surrendered and consecrated to the Lord and used for His honor and glory.

Example: A skilled organist playing for a worship service "as unto the Lord. We can squabble over whether something is a talent or a gift, but we need to be careful, as thoughtful Christians, not to exchange the two words as if they had identical meaning.

If we accept the premise that an all-powerful God is the creator of all matter and life, it is reasonable to conclude our abilities must ultimately come from the God who created everything in the first place. Click To Tweet Everyone has some sort of innate talent. You know where you are talented and where you are not. Well, maybe we should start by looking at what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts.

Paul describes spiritual gifts in three places: 1 Corinthians But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Romans For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Ephesians He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

Are there any more? Scroll to continue reading. We all know people who are talented and come from a long line of family members who share the same talent consider, for example, the Matthews family in the NFL. They can be attributed to the natural genetic material existing within all of us, passed down from generation to generation.

Non-believers can be very talented in some of these areas without having been given a gift of the Spirit. But in addition to the gifts that sound like talents possessed by non-believers, there are others on the list that seem specific to the lives of believers.